Apparatus for cooling liquids



May 24,1932-- y o; FBQYER 1,859,953

lAPPAMTIS FORi COOLING LIQUIDs Filed Ju1y 11, 1928' v Patented May 24,v1932 OTTO F. BOYER, F LOS PATENT OFFICE ANGELES, CALIFORNIA APPARATUSFOR COOLING LIQUIDS Applieation med July 11,

This invention relates to an apparatus for cooling liquids in a simpleand eifective manner. The invention 'particularly relates to anapparatus whereby liquids may be cooled in small increments although thetotal quantity of liquid cooled. may be large. The

apparatus utilizes a liquefied refrigerant and also employs a portion ofthe liquid being cooled as a cooling agent for further quantilo ties ofliquid.

Although liquefied refrigerants such as sulfur dioxide and carbondioxide have been utilized in maintaining low 'air temperatures inrefrigerators and the like, such refrigerants have not been employedheretofore for cooling liquids. In most cooling of 'refrigeratingsystems heat is transferred from the bodies being cooled by radiation,convection and conduction simultaneously and this iny 2o volvesnecessarily aslow rate of heattransfer at low temperatures.

At hi h temperatures, that is temperatures of`over about 210 F., therate of heat transfer under these conditions is materially increased,for example, radiation increases as the square of the temperature of theradiating surfaces increases. By substantially eliminating radiation andconvection and limiting the transfer of'heat almost exclusively to thattransferred by conduction alone, I amv able tol cool fluids very rapidlyat low temperatures or to low temperatures. An object of this inventionis to disclose and provide an apparatus adapted to carry out thisinvention in a simple and effective manner. Another object is todisclose and provide an apparatus adapted to cool liquids with aliquefied refrigerant. Another object is to disclose an apparatusadapted to coolv 4u liquids with liquefied refrigerants and utilizetransfer of heat by conduction.

Other objects, advantages and results obtained by the use of myinventionwill become, apparent from the following more ydetailed I description ofone form of apparatus. It

1928. Serial No. 291,842.

will be understood that numerous changes and modifications may be madein the particular form of apparatus shown, the drawing appended heretoshowing one form of apparatus merely for purposes of illustration.

The drawing appended hereto is avertical cross-section of an apparatusadaptedzto cool f liquids by means of a liquefied refrigerant. In thedrawing, l denotes a receptacle or Vhousing of anyv desired shape butpreferably cylindrical provided with in/let means 2'and outlet means 3for the liquid to be cooled. A plug 4 may be provided in the upperportion of the receptacle 1 so as to provide means for the escape of airor other gases present within the receptacle before the interiorof thereceptacle 1 is filled with the liquid to be cooled.

One or more smaller receptacles or chambers may be formed within thelarger recep- ,tacle 1 by means of a shell 5 operably connected with thereceptacle 1 by welding as at 6 or by means of screw threads. Thereceptacle 1 ymay be provided with an outlet or opening 7 which leadsinto the inner compartment formed bythe shell 5. A anged body or closure8 is operably placed over the opening 7 and connected to the receptaclelin any suitable manner, for example by means of tap bolts 9. Means foradmitting a liquefied refrigerant through the closure 8 into the innershell 5 are provided. The flanged body 8 may be the body portion of apin valve having a port 10 adapted to be closed by means of a valve 11.

The particular shape and construction of the pressure tank 1 withopening 7 leading directly into the inner tank chamber 5 without anyliquid or gas connections lor openings between the linterior of tank 1and tank 5, 35 results in a simple unitary body of particular utility. Y

The pin 11 is preferably operated by means of a ioat 12 of any desireddescription adapted to float upon the surface of a liqueed refrigerant13 within the inner chamber formed by the shell 5. Float valves of thisdescription are known in the art and the details of construction neednot be entered into here.,

All of these valves, however operate in such a manner that a' loweringof the liquid level within the chamberformed b the shell 5 results in adepression of the oat 12 which activates the valve 11 pivotallyconnected thereto in such a manner that the port 10 is opened and theliquefied refrigerant such as liquid sulfur dioxideenters the chamberformed b the shell 5 through a supply means 14 opera ly connected to theanged body portlon 8, port 10 and discharge ports 15 emlptying into theinner chamber.

vapor outlet 16 is provided from the inner chamber so that any liquefiedrefrigerant volatilized within the inner chamber made by the shell 5 maybe discharged through the outlet 16.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows: After the receptacle 1has been filled with liquid to be cooled, for example water, and all airremoved from the receptacle by allowing it to escape through the port oropening closed by the plug 4, and 1i uid refrigerant is admitted intothe inner c amber formed by the shell 5 within the receptacle 1 throughsupply pipe means.14, the liquid refrigerant will yboil and vaporize,the vapors being discharged from the chamber made by the shell 5 throughthe outlet 16 which may lead to any suitable storage tank or ,com-ypressor wherein the vaporized" refrigerant may be reliqueed and turnedback into the system for reuse. It is well understood that vaporizationof a liquid causes a reduction in temperature and this reduction intemperature is transmitted tothe liquid within the receptacle 1 byconduction through the shell 5 of thed inner chamber. This coolingaction forms a zone adjoining the shell 5in which the liquid bein cooledis in a supercooled condition or re uced to a temperature below thedesired temperature. In case vwateris the liquid being cooled, theortion of super-cooled Water may take the orm ofA an iceV cap 17 uponthe outer surface of the inner chamber 5. The quantity vof liquidreduced to this super-cooled condition will 'dev will become quitelarge.

pend entirely upon the rate of iiow of liquid to be cooled through theapparatus.- For ex- 'I' ample, 1f only av small quantity of liquid islbeing withdrawn and supplied to thev apparatus, the proportion of suer-cooled liquid or exam le, the ice cap 17 may acquire a thickness otwo or three inches. It has been found, however,

that the transmission of heat through a super-cooled liquid isrelatively slow and for i this reason the entire contents of thereceptacle 1 will not be reduced to a super-cooled condition. Anyincrease in the quantityv of liquid being cooled, for example any iningcooled in addition to the heat being transl 'v mitted through the icecap into the chamber 5 in which it is absorbed by the liquidrefrigerant.

1n this manner it will 'be seen that the liquid being admitted anddischarged from the receptacle 1 is cooled to a desired tem'- peratureat a rate varying with the quantity of liquid being cooled. Thecharacter o'f the liquid refrigerant being supplied to the inner chamber5 (or a plurality of such inner chambers) should be so regulated as tocause the refrigerant to super-'cool a' portion of the liquid when thequantity of liquidl to be cooled is small, but the liquid refrigerantshould be of such character and capable of absorbing heat at such a ratethat the transmission of heat from the liquid-being cooled to therefrigerant is insufficient to super-cool the liquid when a largequantity of liquid is being cooled. Furthermore, the formation of asuper-cooled liquid (ice, when water is the liquid) may b'e said to forma reservoir of cold which is irst drawn upon when a large quantity ofwater is suddenly ypassed occur with frequency and by means cylindricaltank, a small tank within said cylindrical tank and welded to the innerside of one of the closed ends thereof, an opening in said closed endcommunicating with the interior' of said small tank, a closure for saidopenmg, and means for introducmg a liquefied refrigerant into said smalltank through said closure. u l

2. In an apparatus for'cooling liquids, a cylindrical tank provided withclosed ends for liquidl to be cooled, liquid inlet and outlet portscommunicating with the interior of said cylindrical tank, a small tankvwithin said cylindrical tank and 'attached to one of the closed endsthereof, an opening in said closed end communicating with the interiorof said small tank, a closure for said opening., and means forintroducing a liquefied refrigerant into said small tank throughsaidclosure.

3. In anapparatus for cooling liquids, a cylindrical tank provided withclosed ends for liquid to be cooled, liquid inlet and outylet portscommunicating with the interior of saidv tank a small tank within said clindrical tank and welded to the inside o one of the closed endsthereof, an opening in said closed end communicating with the interiorof said small tank near the Wall thereof,

a second opening in said closed end leading to the interior of saidsmall tank, a closure' member for said second opening, and valve meanscarried b` said closure member forl0 admittin lique ed refrigerants intosaid small tan Signed at Los Angeles, California, this th day of June,1928.

\ OTTO F. BOYER.

